Book review: Operation Geronimo - the ultimate whodunnit
Throughout the book, I could not but notice a soft spot for the enigmatic founder of Al Qaeda.
Shaukat Qadir’s Operation Geronimo began as a quest to uncover the story of Osama bin Laden’s death.
Shaukat Qadir’s Operation Geronimo began as a quest to uncover the story of Osama bin Laden’s death. It now stands as a detailed volume, based on accounts by officers of Pakistan’s armed forces, locals, militants, local and foreign press, describing bin Laden’s arrival in Pakistan and his ultimate execution at the hands of the Americans Shakat Qadir is convinced that Bin Laden would have continued to live in hiding had he not been ‘sold out’ by the people closest to him. He sets the premise for his conviction that someone led the CIA to OBL, right from the first page.
‘When it came to planning major operations, OBL insisted on being present and frequently disrupted everything by coming up with fantasies. He was obviously deteriorating due to a state bordering permanent delusion; perhaps ‘’premature senility’’ would best describe his condition’
Woven into this tapestry of loyalty, betrayal, intrigues and twists are high-profile names — the ISI, CIA, Bin Laden’s wives, his mentor al Iraqi, and his associates: al Zawahiri, al Misri, al Libi, Arshad Khan, and Khalid Shaikh Muhammed. Based on a mixture of facts and conjecture, the author subtly implicates OBL’s wife Khairee Bin Laden and some al Qaeda members by connecting them to the CIA and ISI. From the first page of the book, Qadir draws attention to a consensus among the al Qaeda Shura (High Council) that bin Laden must retire. “Nobody wanted him dead,” writes Qadir. “The question was how to put him on the shelf”.
The answer to this puzzle is bin Laden’s ‘elusive mentor’ — al Iraqi, a deeply venerated and ailing leader of Al Qaeda.
Bin Laden is tricked by al Zawahiri into writing to his elusive mentor, purportedly requesting his advice on capturing Kahuta, Pakistan’s nuclear facility and Bin Laden’s latest obsession. At the same time, unknown to Bin Laden, al Zawahiri is corresponding with al Iraqi, requesting him to push Bin Laden’s retirement.
Soon after, Khairee, one of Bin Laden’s older and estranged wives, arrives in Abbottabad after having been released by the Iranian authorities. She decides to join her husband in a foreign country not only at a time when matters are grave politically, but when Bin Laden’s relationship with her is also in turmoil. At this point, the reader has the liberty to engage in endless conspiracy theories. Was Attiya Abdul Rehman, the Chief of Operations for Al Qaeda, really so suspicious of Khairee that he had her strip-searched for homing devices? Or was it the other way round? Did Attiya actually keep Khairee long enough to reassure bin Laden that Khairee could be trusted? Was there a deliberate “leak” somewhere so as to enable the CIA to track Khairee to Bin Laden’s lair? Is it possible that her release was “arranged”? Was she the trusted courier that led to CIA to Bin Laden?’
Throughout the book, I could not but notice a soft spot for the enigmatic founder of Al Qaeda; a man who shook the world and then was reduced to a pitiable state by this complicated web of intrigues and betrayals.
Essentially it is a compilation of accounts from different sources, which lets the reader come to his or her own conclusions of what might have or might not have happened in Abbottabad. Web links provided by the author tempt the reader to go back and forth into corroborating stories. Hence the reader enters into a labyrinth of narratives — incidents, versions and perspectives regarding what happened on May 02, 2011. It’s quite handy as a reference and research work, but don’t except an exciting spy thriller.
Published in The Express Tribune, Sunday Magazine, January 20th, 2013.
Like Express Tribune Magazine on Facebook to stay informed and join the conversation.
‘When it came to planning major operations, OBL insisted on being present and frequently disrupted everything by coming up with fantasies. He was obviously deteriorating due to a state bordering permanent delusion; perhaps ‘’premature senility’’ would best describe his condition’
Woven into this tapestry of loyalty, betrayal, intrigues and twists are high-profile names — the ISI, CIA, Bin Laden’s wives, his mentor al Iraqi, and his associates: al Zawahiri, al Misri, al Libi, Arshad Khan, and Khalid Shaikh Muhammed. Based on a mixture of facts and conjecture, the author subtly implicates OBL’s wife Khairee Bin Laden and some al Qaeda members by connecting them to the CIA and ISI. From the first page of the book, Qadir draws attention to a consensus among the al Qaeda Shura (High Council) that bin Laden must retire. “Nobody wanted him dead,” writes Qadir. “The question was how to put him on the shelf”.
The answer to this puzzle is bin Laden’s ‘elusive mentor’ — al Iraqi, a deeply venerated and ailing leader of Al Qaeda.
Bin Laden is tricked by al Zawahiri into writing to his elusive mentor, purportedly requesting his advice on capturing Kahuta, Pakistan’s nuclear facility and Bin Laden’s latest obsession. At the same time, unknown to Bin Laden, al Zawahiri is corresponding with al Iraqi, requesting him to push Bin Laden’s retirement.
Soon after, Khairee, one of Bin Laden’s older and estranged wives, arrives in Abbottabad after having been released by the Iranian authorities. She decides to join her husband in a foreign country not only at a time when matters are grave politically, but when Bin Laden’s relationship with her is also in turmoil. At this point, the reader has the liberty to engage in endless conspiracy theories. Was Attiya Abdul Rehman, the Chief of Operations for Al Qaeda, really so suspicious of Khairee that he had her strip-searched for homing devices? Or was it the other way round? Did Attiya actually keep Khairee long enough to reassure bin Laden that Khairee could be trusted? Was there a deliberate “leak” somewhere so as to enable the CIA to track Khairee to Bin Laden’s lair? Is it possible that her release was “arranged”? Was she the trusted courier that led to CIA to Bin Laden?’
Throughout the book, I could not but notice a soft spot for the enigmatic founder of Al Qaeda; a man who shook the world and then was reduced to a pitiable state by this complicated web of intrigues and betrayals.
Essentially it is a compilation of accounts from different sources, which lets the reader come to his or her own conclusions of what might have or might not have happened in Abbottabad. Web links provided by the author tempt the reader to go back and forth into corroborating stories. Hence the reader enters into a labyrinth of narratives — incidents, versions and perspectives regarding what happened on May 02, 2011. It’s quite handy as a reference and research work, but don’t except an exciting spy thriller.
Published in The Express Tribune, Sunday Magazine, January 20th, 2013.
Like Express Tribune Magazine on Facebook to stay informed and join the conversation.